Israel has long recognized the importance of Christians in the West. Their support, not just from the extremist evangelicals, has helped it win and maintain its popularity and financial support from the United States.

Israel know its their oppression of Palestinians has a double-edged sword since that oppression has hurt Christian interests as much as it has hurt Muslim interests.

But Muslim political arrogance has prevented the Arabs from playing the "Christian Card," and rising anti-Christian sentiment in some areas of the Muslim world has caused internal friction.

It's hard, however, for Israel to claim they are the protestors of Christian Arabs when a Christian Arab elected to the Israeli Knesset, is slapped down so disrespectfully by the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, Yuli Edelstein.

Edelstein received a request to put up a Christmas tree in the legislature by Knesset member Hanna (John) Sweid, a Christian member of the Knesset.

The 18th Knesset has a record number of non-Jewish members; though 18 non-Jewish Knesset members out of a total of 120 seats. Israel still has a long way to go before it can truly claim to be a democracy.

Yet Sweid's request to place a Christmas tree in the Knesset isn't out of line at all, even though Israel defines itself as a Jewish state and as a homeland for the Jews.

Edelstein is merely reflecting the growing racism in Israel against non-Jews and especially Arabs.

Ironically, Israel is built on the very land where Jesus was born. Bethlehem, Jesus's birthplace, is under Israeli military occupation. It's residents are harassed and discriminated routinely by the oppressive Israeli soldiers.

Lands confiscated by Israel are taken both from Muslim and Christian Palestinians who live in Palestine and Israel. But so far, the Arabs have been ineffective in arguing to the large American Christian population hat is steadfastly pro-Israel that Israel is not very nice to Christian Arabs.

Most American Christians don't care that Israel oppresses Christians. They don't care that Israel oppresses Muslims.

But Sweid's request wasn't motivated by politics. It was motivated by pure Christian ideology. And just to be clear, the Christmas tree is a recognize icon of the Christian holiday, but it is not a religious symbol like a Menorah or a Star of David or a Cross. It is a secular symbol of giving that Christians have embraced.

If Israel claims to be a democracy, then recognizing the rights of minorities is a fundamental test that, not surprisingly, Israel has failed. And, equally not surprisingly, most Israelis don't care.

Then again, most Christian Americans don't care, either. The refusal to place a Christmas tree in the Knesset barely got mentioned in the Israeli media. It was first reported by the Times of Israel, a hodgepodge of mixed views where I sometimes write.

I reached out to Sweid, but like most Palestinians in occupation and in Israel, he doesn't understand how important this story is to get out to the public, and didn't respond. Non-Jewish Knesset members have a history of being persecuted for conduct that Israelis dislike. They don't enjoy the same free speech as other people do in real democracies, like in the United States.

Imagine if a Jewish alderman in Chicago was told that he could not erect a menorah on the plaza of the Cook County Building, where it is in fact erected every year. Chicago mayors have always attended the menorah lighting ceremonies, including its current Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose father was a founder of the Irgun in Israel.

Rejecting the placement of a menorah on the plaza would have created international headlines, but not when a Christmas tree is denied in Israel.

Israelis will argue that the menorah is not in a public building, but rather in front of a public building, the Cook County government building. But menorah's are raised everywhere in America and never would any public official dare to challenge those displays. The same treatment goes to Christians and even Muslims in America, clearly a better democracy than Israel, but not the best.

In fairness, the United States is not a religious country. It was established by Christians and despite a history of racial discrimination and some religious persecution of Muslims, America fights hard to oppose religious hatred and bias.

Israel, though, is a religious country. In fact, one of the most recent demands from Israel in the peace process is to demand that Arabs recognize Israel as a Jewish state, not to simply recognize Israel's right to exist.

As we celebrate Christmas in America and in the West, Christians recognize they live in precarious and dangerous places throughout the world. Their lives are threatened not just in Israel but in the Muslim world, too.

Yet when Israel had the chance to show how much better it claims to be in supporting Christians, the Knesset sat on its hands and let Edelstein make them look bad. You can't claim to be protectors of Christians if you can't even allow a Christmas tree to be placed on a Knesset plaza.

To my Jewish friends and Israeli friends whom I often offer salutations of Shabbat Shalom and cheers for their holidays, I offer them my most sincere "Merry Christmas."

Ray Hanania is an award-winning Palestinian American columnist for the Saudi Gazette and the managing editor of The Arab Daily News at www.TheArabDailyNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @RayHanania. To find out more about Ray Hanania and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.